This means that, for the time being, two red-white-red local heroes will be competing in Austria's biggest tennis tournament. “Filip Misolic has had a strong season and made it into the top 100 in the world rankings. Based on his performances this year, he has earned a wild card for the main draw of the Erste Bank Open,” emphasizes tournament director Herwig Straka, who has also given Sebastian Ofner a place in the Vienna tennis spectacle.

"Sebastian Ofner made a strong comeback after his injury break due to two heel operations last fall until the middle of this season, but then unfortunately suffered a few setbacks. So it's only logical to give him a wild card for Vienna as well. With good results at the end of the season, ‘Ofi’ has the opportunity to make up a lot of ground in the world rankings, as he no longer has any points to defend from last year," explains Straka.

Ofner, who was present at the media event, was clearly delighted with the guaranteed ticket to his home tournament. “Being in Vienna is an additional motivation for me to finish the season on a high note after a short break from tournaments. I will focus on this and work consistently towards it. The fans in the Wiener Stadthalle always create a great atmosphere. As in previous years, the field of participants is incredibly strong – I can definitely use the support of the audience,” says Ofner.